Statement From Inter-Fraternity Council President Regarding Allegations of Bribery in A.S. Elections
April 27, 2016 at 12:41 pm
On Wednesday, the Inter-Fraternity Council president submitted a statement to the Nexus responding to the Associated Students Elections Board’s allegations of bribery.
The following letter is written by Brendan Gonzalez, IFC president and second-year political science major.
I want to begin this by saying that I am not making this statement to spark an argument. I simply feel that with all of the misinformation that is circulating, the students should hear the truth and the facts.
The UCSB Inter-Fraternity Council strives to promote participation from our members in all aspects of student life, both on and off campus. This includes the recent Associated Students Elections. In order to encourage our members to perform their civic responsibility as students, IFC offered grants to chapters that achieved high voter turnout, which the chapter is required to use towards their philanthropic purposes. The IFC viewed this as a way to further two of its core principles- student participation and philanthropy in the local community.
The IFC has been unequivocally transparent about these grants. When it was brought to our attention that Associated Students Election Board was investigating the grants, the IFC issued a formal letter to Elections Board to dispel any rumors or misinformation that they may have received.
The IFC felt comfortable doing so because we know that we have not broken any rules or regulations. There is absolutely no clause in Associated Students Legal Code that prohibits such programs. Nor is there any such clause in Office of Student Life (OSL) Statement of Regulations, which every campus organization is required to follow.Â
IFC did not develop this program without consultation from our advisor who also serves as the Director of OSL. He recalled that many other UCSB campus organizations have used similar programs to incentivize voter turnout in AS elections.
Many other administrative staff, who have extensive knowledge of AS Legal Code and the OSL Statement of Regulations, are well aware of the grant and have absolutely no concerns about it being a violation of existing policies.
The Inter-Fraternity Council will not engage with people who call our organization’s integrity into question. Again, my only hope from this statement is that the students hear the truth and are able to see that the Inter-Fraternity Council has not broken any rules, nor is it afraid to be 100 percent transparent and truthful about what has transpired.
Therefore, I will be attending AS Senate meeting tonight at 6:30 p.m. in Corwin Pavilion, so that Senate can hear the truth and the facts, rather than the rumors and misconceptions that have been spread around campus over the past 24 hours.
Sincerely,
Brendan D. Gonzalez
Inter Fraternity Council President
Do you have any examples to back the claim that “many other UCSB campus organizations have used similar programs to incentivize voter turnout in AS elections” ?
The Director of OSL will be coming into senate to corroborate that statement tonight
A rule against this practice should be adopted. Paying a specific segment of the electorate (fraternity and sorority members) to vote skews the election results. It biases representation in favor of fraternity members at the expense of non-members, and this undermines the democratic process.
The money doesn’t go to anyone voting you half-wit; it goes directly to charity.
*indirectly
Incentivizing one demographic to vote skews results no matter what the incentive is.
IFC did not instruct any fraternity or sorority members to vote for specific candidates or vote to support a specific direction on campus issues, therefore avoiding any skewed election results.
But IFC in its entirety endorsed Natalie Jordan for IVP. There’s a good possibility Brendan himself told people in IFC to vote for her because she’s dating Brendan. I mean it’s directly in Brendan’s best interests to help her get elected. There’s no denying that and it looks extra bad that they happened to endorse Natalie because IFC is under a lot of heat for the philanthropy funding already. Wondering what would come to light if IFC allowed the proposed unbiased investigation to happen… Why do they want to run away so badly? They didn’t do anything wrong like Brendan… Read more »
Maybe instead it was because Nushi wasnt at all qualified
At the end of the day, it’s just an A.S. Election and it won’t affect our lives much anyways. As long as they IFC didn’t break any stated rules then they’re allowed to take advantage of loopholes/grey areas. Welcome to the world of politics and the rest of your lives ladies and gentlemen, very rarely are ethics our main priority. Like Obama said, we gotta stop being so coddled as students and not cry/be butthurt every time something happens that we don’t like. If IFC acted unfairly the rule will be changed and next year no incentives will be given.… Read more »
A tempest in a teapot. Another ridiculous student government farce. An example of why students avoid the institution like the plague. UCSB is unusual in the percentage of students who bother to vote in AS elections-at most institutions it tops out at 15 percent at best and usually is less than 10 percent. At UCSB it was over 25 percent. Why don’t students vote? Typically because they see little value in it. Sure, it controls a pot of money from fees but mostly it serves as a training ground for wannabe politicians. Historically, certain voting blocs control student government at… Read more »
I’d be very curious to see what “philanthropic purposes” these funds go towards.
if you’re implying they’re gonna spend it on some bullshit thing and end up spending it on parties you’re very wrong. this money is administered by OSL, its literally impossible to do anything else but philanthropy with it. now what kind of charity it goes to is usually the frats choice. every frat has its own favorite org they donate to, and its nothing sketchy, just usual charity for some kind of disease, disability, etc.
You seem to have a very neutral position on the Greek system, I admire your open-mindedness and ability to see the good in everyone!
The philanthropic grants in question would be put into Fraternity chapter accounts, administered by OSL, and their checks receipts to make sure the purchases are within campus regulations. Fraternities hold events such as SigEp’s Surf and Turf that offer food and entertainment (such as a band) and requires a ticket or wrist band. They don’t have to be open to the public, but since it’s a philantrophy, most events are open to anyone to generate more ticket sales. These philanthropy grants would be (since the alleged ‘bribery’ has not even taken place in terms of a transfer of funds) transferred… Read more »
?? I hope IFC kicks AS’s butt over this crap.
hey brendan, wonder where natalies been sunday nights leading up to elections. that basketball team endorsement didn’t come easy. she didn’t hit us up when we texted her to come over this sunday too. good luck with her cuz she’s a snake
What are you inferring? Who is “us”? Are you on the basketball team? Where are you inferring she’s been sunday nights, or how she got the basketball endorsement?
to spice things up IFC should sue AS for defamation. the word bribe was not the best word to use